Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Real Love

Introduction
Advent is the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas when Christians prepare to celebrate Christ's birth, but it is also a time we focus on preparing for Jesus' second coming. The first time, Jesus came as a harmless little baby. But the second time, Jesus will come as a conquering King ready to separate the good from the evil.
Thankfully, God loves us so much and wants us to be ready.That’s why He sent Jesus to first time—to get us ready. Jesus shows us how we need to live and he already atoned for our sins. Aren't you glad Jesus came the first time so we can be ready when he comes the second time?

John 3:1616 “For
this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Real Love

There are many popular songs written about love and love is a common theme in books, television, and movies. However, real love, the kind of love Jesus shows and wants us to have, is so much deeper than the love the world promotes. Mother Teresa said, "Love, to be real, must
cost.It must hurt.It must empty us of self."
I see a lot of expressions of real love in our congregation. Real love
is 12 people from our church joining with a team from Grace Presbyterian to
feed over100 needy people at the City
of Refuge last Monday night. Real love is Kevin Roberts there coloring a picture with a
little girl and Tanya Brooker tutoring a child on their math homework before
the food was served. Real love is when our church secretary, Angela, can’t
sleep at night because she’s tossing and turning in the bed at 3 AM
thinking about what we can do with poinsettias to show the love of Jesus—and she
comes up with the Poinsettia Challenge.
Real love is Susan Cooksey—a retired teacher—going over to Pleasant
Grove Elementary School each week to help out and see how our church can be a
blessing to the school.Most people
retire and throw their hands up in praise, "I'm done! I don't have to work any more! I've done my time. Now I can sit at home and collect a retirement check." In stead, Susan continues to go to the school and work as a volunteer to help teachers and students, because that's what real love does.
Real love is a Jason and Andrea Denson going
through over 2 years of preparation and training and paperwork and praying and
hoping and crying and hoping and crying and hoping some more before finally flying
over to China to meet their new daughter. Real love is their son, Jace—who’s been the baby of the family getting all the attention for almost a decade—welcoming his new sister into the
family with open arms. He willingly shares his family with his new sister.
Real love is James and Mary Greenway taking clothes over to
the residents who lost everything in an apartment fire in Dalton this weekend
and praying with them to bring peace in the midst of a tragedy. Real love is Amy Harris spurring our church to sponsor 20
families who have a loved one in prison so they will have Christmas presents
and leading the youth to host a Angel Tree Party for the families yesterday. Real love
is someone from our church going to visit a friend in prison because they’re struggling
with addiction and mental illness and they did a terrible thing, but Jesus
still loves them so we do too.
Real love is a parent who sacrifices the time, the
money, their life, gaining gray hairs through nights of worry and praying and
shedding tears of joy and sometimes disappointment. Real love is a spouse who cares for their husband or wife as
they slowly fade into dementia. Real love never giving up even when it hurts
so bad you just want to die.

1 John 4:19 – We love each other because he [God] loved us first.

Even though humanity had turned their backs on
God, God still loved us and sent Jesus. We didn't deserve any help, any mercy, any love, but God showed loved us and showed mercy and helped us anyway. And oh how great is the extent of God's wonderful love!

He sent his one and only son. He could have and should have come as king treated to a palace and glory with everyone serving him. But Jesus didn't come to be served. He came to serve others. He showed what real love is and he said:

John 15:13 – There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus showed us what real love is. Every day, Jesus laid down his life by the way he served and put others before himself. And ultimately in the end, Jesus literally laid down his life when he died on the cross for our sins. 1 John 4:10, "Thisis real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a
sacrifice to take away our sins."

Get Ready and Follow Jesus
Jesus loves us with real love and he want us to love him so we will be ready. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, obey my commandments." And what were his commands? Let me distill it down to 4 basic truths.

·Command #1 – Repent. The first sermon Jesus preached was "Repent for the Kingdom of God is near." In other words, your day of reckoning and judgment could happen at any moment. God is about to separate the good from the bad and reward each accordingly. So you better turn away from your wrongdoing and turn to God.

·Command # 2 – Trust Jesus. You have to turn away from your evil ways and trying to do what you want and trust and follow Jesus' way. Do you trust Jesus enough to give up what you want and work for what he wants? That is the only way to be ready to meet him face to face when he comes again. That is the only way to find eternal life.

·Command # 3 – Love. Jesus said to love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself. John 15:12, Jesus said, "Thisis my
commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you." What does that
mean?It means you lay down your life. It means life stops being about you.It’s about serving others and loving them the way Jesus did.

·Command #4 – Go. In Matthew 28:19, 20, Jesus said, "Go and make disciples
of all nations…Teach
these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…" That’s what I what I try to do everyday by the way I live and even as I write this blog. I want you to become a disciple of Jesus, because I love you and I want you have eternal life in the Kingdom of God with me.

Are you ready to meet Jesus when he comes again? I hope with all my heart you will obey these commands so you will be ready, because I want to meet you one day in eternity. Let's plan to get together then and go for a walk down the golden streets beside the crystal sea. If you've never become a real Christian--one who has repented, believed in Jesus, received his forgiveness, and committed to follow Him--why don't you ask God to receive you into His Kingdom today. You can use the following as a guide as you pray to God.

A Prayer to Become a Christian"Father, I'm so sorry for trying to do things my way. I repent. I surrender my life to You. Forgive me for what I've done and help me to follow Jesus from this day forward. Help me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And help me to love everyone I meet the way You love them. Show me how I can tell people what Jesus is doing for me. Thank You for saving me! Now help me live for You for the rest of my life. Amen."If you prayed to become a Christian today, I would like to here from you. Please email me at ReverendChrisMullis@Hotmail.com so I can pray for you.

Hi! I am a husband to an amazing woman, a father of three awesome kids, and a pastor of a loving church. My goal in life is to glorify God as I draw people closer to Christ with every breath and step I take.

About Me

Hi! I am a husband to an amazing woman, a father of three awesome kids, and a pastor of a loving church. My goal in life is to glorify God as I draw people closer to Christ with every breath and step I take.